For those of you who haven’t already heard, Mani Amar, activist and film maker from B.C. reached a breakthrough in raising awareness about gang violence in the South Asian community in Vancouver and across Canada this week!

His award-winning documentary (2009 International Sikh Film Festival in New York), Warrior’s Religion, is now officially out on DVD and available for purchase on the official website.

By spending only $15 on the DVD you will support a noble cause, Amar’s fight to create a safer community for future South Asians and youth of other ethnicities living in the Vancouver mainland.

On the other hand if you are an educator or a leader among social justice organizations for young people, a double disc version with discussion materials for only $25 is also available.

Although A Warrior’s Religion has received criticism from Sikh community leaders because of their misconception of the title, since the young men depicted in the film mostly belong to the Sikh faith group, the film’s name is a metaphor for the lifestyle of these gangsters who see their lives in street gangs as their way of life, salvation and thus therefore “religion.”

Since the problem of gang warfare runs deep among young men whose families are of Sikh faith, Amar’s film raises awareness for this community in hopes of preventing future generations’ deaths. The unbiased documentary includes heartbreaking interviews of parents grieving for the tragic deaths of their young sons, to tense conversations between Amar and former gangster Bal Bhuttar.

The documentary took a total of three years to research and produce for the young Amar, which he funded by working three jobs. A dedicated activist, Amar was determined to see through his goal of producing his film to bring this issue into discussion among community leaders, youth members, educators and like-minded social justice seekers.

I already bought my copy of the documentary, it’s on its way in the mail as I type, stay tuned for my review of the documentary. In the mean time watch the official trailer A Warrior’s religion at Mani’s official website now and make your purchase.

Meanwhile, what’s Mani Amar doing now: currently he is working on his first official feature film, which he envisioned while putting together the research for his documentary. Topics covered include gang violence and sexual violence against women.
Good luck in all of your future endeavours Mani and thank you for serving our community with your hard work and efforts.

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